Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-03

Nc more unique, distinctive, anc ct the
same time popular character stands before
the people to-day than Ella Wheeler
Wilcox.
Born in & Wisconsin village some thirty
odd years ago, when Wisconsin was not
much more than 2 frontier state, without
influential friends Or family, and without
money, she made for herself q name in
literature which commanded attention
before she was eighteen years old. To
one who knows it in detail her history
reads like s. fairy story. Reared on 8
western prairie, she is an ornament TO
the most brilliant circles OF the metrOp-
oils
She had never seen az editor or literary
person and knew nothing Of the methods
Of getting into print when, at fourteen,
she read her first production to the press.
The New York Mercury published these
childish efforts which were written in
prose and under nom de-plumes.
1t declined the fret poem she ever sent
for publication, and the editor sarcastic
ally advised her to "crush her ambitions
to be poet"
The Waverly Magazine mas the honor
to be the first to present the name Of Ella
Wheeler to the public.
Frank Leslie sent her the first check
she ever received st seventeen years of
age,
From that time to the present day she
has never sWerved nor feltered in the
stedaY, hard climb toward success.
She never sent q manuscript in her life
for criticism and never asked for aid or
influence in her literary ventures.
During the last fifteen years Ella
Wheeler has probably been the most crit
icised, abused, praised, misconstrued and
admired woman in the literary world.
Without particle OF effort to create q
sensation, everything she has in that
time written has had the effect Of stirring
up criticism.
Her writings seem to be possessed of
certain something combustiole in their
composition, that on striking outer sir
invariably TeGds it with more or less of
an explosion.
Her first published book was "Drops of
Water" q coils ction Of juvenile temper
ance verses. These were crude but filed
with the draUHtic enthusiasm which has so
permeated her lster work, and provoked
praise and Censure in propOrtionste guam
titles from the contending forces on the
liquor question.
"Shells," a little volume now out of
print, comes next.
"Maurinne," by many considered her
finest work, and the famous Poems of
Passion which set the literary world on
fire, followed within three years Of each
other.
Columns of abuse and praise items rid
iculiDg and euloeiZing the latter volume
filed all the papers in the country.
Some of her friends urged her to sup
press the book after its first appearance,
but strong in The courage of her convic-
tons, she read the severe and unjust re-
views through tears, not uDmixed with
smiles at sight OF the golden coins which
punctuated the comments of the critics.
Many of these dollars were spent In
building g home for aging parents, and
much Of the halo now surrounding this
remarkable woman's lie is the reflection
of the generous deeds Of her early Inonied
life.
Milwaukee people gave her "beneft"
in MAY, 1888, when she wes made the sub
ject of speech by United States Sens-
TOR and was presented with chins basket
containing $500 in gold.
Long before her happy marriage in Msy,
1884, with the elegant and cultivated gen.
tleman Who brought her to the east, her
nsme was household word end she was
s " leone guest IN the best circles of the
gres northeast.
To her rare genius were added unusual |
graces OF PERSON. She WAS q brilliant |
and tactful talker. good dancer, and 8 !